


Lessons Learned

by DemonicPresence



Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Gen, High School AU, M/M, all they wanted was a simple guitar fic, bit of angst, enjoy my dude, gift for @fandergecko's birthday!, not much though, of course I had to take that idea and run the heck away with it, ❤
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-04-27 03:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14416878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DemonicPresence/pseuds/DemonicPresence
Summary: Roman has played guitar all his life. Logan does nothing outside of school, and cannot figure out why Roman loves his music so much. A misstep, and he's aggravated the one boy he may or may not be crushing on.





	1. Lessons

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for the amazing and incredibly talented @fandergecko on tumblr. You are a wonderful person and an amazing friend, my dude. I'm so blessed to have you apart of my life. <3

Roman loved the guitar. He’d been playing since he was three. He loved playing for his friends, talent shows, he even sang and played guitar in the middle school play. It was a joy unlike any other to him, and he loved sharing it with people.

Logan was the opposite. Growing up in a strict household, his parents started his schooling at a young age. Languages, science, English, maths - from the moment he could speak and pick up a crayon he was learning. He didn’t have time for hobbies; reading for fun, the arts, games, all were frivolous pursuits to his parents, and therefore he was barred from them. He compensated, finding joy in seeking knowledge, and learning became his passion.

Logan and Roman met in their junior year of high school, in Astronomy. An elective course that Logan loved, and Roman had to take to add another science course to his GPA (though he much rather would have picked a drama class). It is here that the story begins.

 

Music. That was the first thing Logan heard as he walked towards his Astronomy class every morning, and this Friday was no different. The first day, he had been annoyed. No, that was too strong a word, he had mused. Irritated. Yes, that was better. After all, who would be playing music in a science class?

To be fair, there was a good 30 minutes until class began in the mornings, and he was usually the first one there. He loved the peace and quiet the empty room afforded him to start his day and get ahead on his homework and studies. Mr. Sanders didn’t mind the company, either, as he was grading papers and planning assignments.

Recently, though, another student had joined the room during this time. If he had kept to himself, Logan would have been inclined to ignore him altogether. But he always brought that instrument with him, practicing softly in the back of the class each morning.  
Logan had to admit that, once sensory adaptation kicked in, the music became… quite pleasant. The boy seemed to notice that Logan was studying in the morning, and therefore kept his music soft and calming. Logan also noted that, as he used classical music to aid in his studies, there was just _something_ about live music that was soothing on many different levels.

Logan arrived at the classroom, noting the absence of Mr. Sanders as walked through the door. He was frequently down in the teacher’s lounge with his breakfast and tea at this time, and had no issue leaving the door unlocked for Logan. His classmate – whose name he learned to be Roman ( _the_ Roman, star of the school’s Drama Club? In his class?) – looked up and smiled at him as he went to his seat. And if _that_ thought Logan didn’t find a little jarring. Who on Earth had a smile that looked comparable to the sun-

Logan shook himself slightly. That was a train of thought he didn’t want to consider how or why he started down it. He cleared his throat lightly. “Good morning, Roman.”

“Morning, Specs!” Roman said, gently tuning his guitar. “How’s it going on this fine morning?”

“I’m not quite sure how “it” could be “going” anywhere, especially regarding a morning. But if you are asking as to how I am, the answer is fine.” Logan sat at his seat and pulled out his math notebook. Roman huffed slightly, strumming a few cords on his guitar.

“More homework this morning? What is it this time? Math? English? History?” Roman asked, leaning back as music started up once more.

“American Sign Language. The teacher requested this story be glossed for next Thursday’s class. I am simply finishing it now.”

“Now? But you have a week to do it! Surely you could relax a bit first, enjoy your free time? Don’t you have anything you do for fun?”

“Fun? Learning is fun, school is fun. It is immensely enjoyable. I have no time for anything else.”

“Whatever you say, Pocket Protector. You’re missing out.”

All was quiet for a time between them, as the minutes ticked by. Logan turned his ear back slightly to the sound of the music as Roman played several songs he didn’t recognize - all played wonderfully, he had to admit. _How odd,_ Logan thought, _that strange ache is back._

For a few weeks now, listening to Roman playing his guitar had left Logan with… feelings. Not just for the music, but the boy creating it as well. Roman, though boisterous and eccentric, was always calm these mornings, and tried to talk to Logan as a person, didn’t treating him like a robot or a homework-doing machine. Also, he was… hard as this was, Logan had to admit, Roman could be considered… attractive… by some people’s standards. Even his. The one thing Logan couldn’t quite grasp, was why he was always playing that guitar.

“… Why do you play that instrument every morning?”

“What do you mean?” Roman asked.

“It is to my understanding that you engage in frivolous activities such as art and music. What I do not understand is why. Surely there are more important things you can be doing,” Logan said as he finished the last sentence of his homework. The music stopped abruptly.

“Frivolous? _Important?_ This _is_ important; music is a part of my life. How dare you say otherwise,” Roman said, standing up from his chair. Logan blinked and looked back at him, taken off guard by the tone in Roman’s voice. 

“I did not mean to imply that your music was unimportant, Roman. I only meant that you could be doing something more productive, like studying for our exam this Tuesday, or homework for another class. Perhaps even-” Here Logan paused for a second as he found the words, before speaking again. “-practicing your lines for the play this coming month?” 

Roman stalked over to where the bespectacled boy was sitting, his guitar in his hands. “I’ll have you know I’ve finished my assignments, the study guide for the test, and memorized the lines for my play. I did all this and decided to unwind with my music. News flash, Microsoft Nerd, the world isn’t all studying and homework. My music is productive; playing the guitar calms me, my down time, makes me happy, and, most importantly, what I do with my time is _none of your business._ ” With that, Roman stormed out of the classroom. He didn’t come back when the first bell rang.


	2. Learned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan realises he made a mistake, but how did he make it?

Logan didn’t know what to make of Roman's reaction. Logically, he knew he had made a misstep, and his word choice could definitely have benefitted from a healthy dose of tact. He hadn’t expected the young thespian to react so strongly to his words.

Logan didn’t see Roman all day, and then it was the weekend. Logan found his thoughts drifting to the altercation many times, turning over the words in his head this way and that.

When Monday rolled around, Logan arrived early to Astronomy as usual. Mr. Sanders was at his desk, humming a soft tune as he graded papers. Logan felt a curious weight in his stomach when he realised the distinct lack of one guitar-wielding drama student.

“Good morning, Logan!” Mr. Sanders greeted cheerfully. Logan nodded to him as he took his seat.

“Salutations, Mr. Sanders. How was your weekend?” Logan asked politely.

“Oh, it was good! Went to the park with my husband and son; growing like a weed, that one. Besides that, just graded papers. How about you? Are you ready for the test tomorrow?” came the warm reply.

“My weekend was adequate. I am now three weeks ahead in all my classes, and I feel suitably prepared for the test on the Constellations of the Northern Hemisphere,” Logan said, pulling out his text for the class. He fidgeted slightly, unsure of himself. “However, there was one troubling thing that occurred last Friday…”

“Only three weeks ahead? You’re slacking, Lo,” his teacher teased. “What’s been bothering you?”

“I made a comment to Roman about his guitar playing; what I meant to be a curious inquiry as to his motives, he took rather harshly. I have not seen or spoken to him since. I understand that I have… hurt his feelings, but I do not understand why, or how I did so.”

“Really? What happened?”

“I… may have described his hobby as ‘frivolous’ and ‘unimportant’. I did not mean the terms in an offensive manner, and when I questioned if he could be doing more important things, he became irate and left the classroom. I realize my word choice could have benefited improvement, but why did they upset him so?”

Mr. Sanders’ brow creased. He prided himself on getting to know his students, every single one of them. He knew that Logan loved learning and keeping up with his studies, knew that Devin wanted to go into special effects makeup for college. Knew that young Virgil had social anxiety but loved it when he made a friend, and that Patton loved puppies and puns. Really bad puns. He also knew how much playing his guitar meant to Roman.

“Well,” Mr. Sanders began carefully, “That explains why Roman wasn’t in class on Friday. Logan, music is important to him; he’s told me he’s been playing the guitar since he could pick it up. It’s a stress reliever for him and makes him happy. You describing it that way hurt his feelings.”

Logan scrunched his nose lightly in thought. Hurt his feelings? The notion had occurred to him, but… “But why? It was merely an observation of his activity. Aren’t there better things he could be doing with his time? My parents have told me since I was a child that creative pursuits are wasted, and time could be better spent seeking knowledge.”

Mr. Sanders adopted a knowing look. He had met Logan’s parents at the school Talent Show and Science Fair earlier this semester, had seen how they paid little attention to the show but spent considerable focus on the projects of the students at the expo. Though he considered himself a nice man and wasn’t very quick to judge, what Logan said matched what he had seen of his parents. Mr. Sanders cleared his throat.

“Logan, creativity is an important part of Roman. Doing something creative, like playing the guitar or acting, makes him feel the way learning new things makes you feel. If someone told you learning was pointless and you could be doing more important things, how would you react?” he asked. Comprehension dawned on Logan's face.

“… It would make me very upset,” Logan replied, “and I would be keen to correct them on why it is important and why it means so much to me… Oh.”

Mr. Sanders nodded. Kids were steadily coming in as time edged closer to first bell, calling out greetings to their affable teacher. Logan anxiously watched every face, waiting to see if Roman would come to class today.

That he did, his guitar and messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He avoided Logan’s gaze as he took his seat. Logan glanced back at him as the first bell rang. That weight in his stomach was back, and it felt a lot like guilt.

Logan mulled over the conversation as class went on. Neither feelings nor social skills were his forte, to be sure – his early years of his nose to his papers and books had seen to that. But his teacher had brought up several good points. He wanted to apologise to his classmate. He also wanted to understand.

Roman didn’t give him much of a chance. As soon as the bell rang he was out the door. Logan hurriedly packed his things and followed him, but the hallway was flooded with a mass of high schoolers. It was difficult to follow him while trying to dodge the students who stopped dead in the halls in big groups or weaving around couples making out in between classes. 

Logan walked into the drama meeting that afternoon warily, glancing left and right for a familiar sandy-colored head. Drama students glanced at him curiously, but he was largely uncontested as they went back their rehearsals, singing, and chatting. He saw Roman tuning his guitar a bit away from the other students, taking advantage of the relative peace and quiet for a few minutes before the drama teacher arrived. He glanced up and tensed as Logan approached, making to get up.

“Wait,” Logan said, holding his hands up. “I have something to say.”

“What do you want, Erlenmeyer Trash?” Roman grumbled, his fingers scratching lightly along the guitar strings. Logan tilted his head as he parsed through what he wanted to say. 

“It has come to my attention that I have made- That I may have- What I mean to say is- Oh, confound it all!” Logan snarled in frustration. Roman’s eyes narrowed.

“If you’ve come here to insult me further, I-” Roman started.

“No! That’s just it! I’m not here to insult you, I came to apologise,” Logan interrupted. Roman blinked.

“What did you say?”

“I realised after careful consideration that my word choice regarding your music was in poor taste. I did not mean to affront your pastime, but nonetheless that is what happened, and I am sorry. I did not know it was so important to you, and had I known, I would not have spoken so carelessly of your creative pursuits. I am sorry.”

The silence between the two was deafening compared to the ambient noise of the room. Logan was flushing slightly, severely out of his element with the physical aspects of an apology. It had seemed so simple when he had researched it, but Roman was silent. Had he said it wrong? Had he not said enough? Did he say it too late? Did he-

“Why?” Roman’s voice, uncharacteristically quiet, broke the quiet between them.

“Why?” Logan repeated, and Roman shifted in his seat, adjusting his instrument to a more comfortable position.

“Why did you say those things? If you didn’t mean to besmirch my choice of pastime, then why did you say what you said?”

Logan was quiet when thinking, his voice matching Roman’s soft tone when he spoke. “In my household, creative pursuits were not encouraged. Games, music, drawing, things of that nature were viewed as secondary to the pursuit of knowledge, and thusly barred from me. While I do enjoy classical music when I am studying, things like reading and writing were only ever tools of learning for me. I must admit I assumed – wrongly – that it was the same for everyone.”

Roman had gone slack-jawed during Logan’s short speech. “Nothing creative at all? No dancing, no singing, no hours playing pretend – none of it?”

“None, though puzzles were occasionally allowed if they served a teaching purpose,” Logan affirmed, then his shoulders slumped. “It was wrong of me to say those things of your music. You truly have a gift with the guitar. I find mornings in our homeroom much more pleasant with your guitar in the background. Would you… Can you forgive my careless words?”

There was a slight pause before a grin stretched across Roman’s face. “Of course, Logan. All is forgiven. Would you like to learn?”

“Learn?” Logan asked, puzzled. Roman gestured to the guitar in his lap.

“The guitar. Music, writing, acting, the arts – they’re learned skills like math and science. We aren’t born knowing how to do these wonderful things! If you love learning new things so much, maybe this can be a new challenge for you?” Roman said, scooting over slightly to give Logan space to sit. “We’ve got about 20 minutes before Mr. Sanders shows up, plenty of time for a quick lesson.”

Logan blinked. “Mr. Sanders? Our Astronomy teacher?” 

“The very same! Did you think a man of science couldn’t also be a man of the theatre? You should have seen him in Heathers!” Roman laughed heartily, and Logan found himself grinning. He liked that laugh. He sat next to Roman and took his guitar in his hands with great care. Roman proceeded to teach him the strings and basic cords, and Logan was delighted to learn that music involved a bit of math and counting to it.

Maybe creativity and logic weren’t so different after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a hot minute to finish, but I am please. I hope you all are too <3 Feedback is God (Eh? Eh?)

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I have started a Ko-Fi! (Link in my bio or on my tumblr, iamsilentwolf). If you like what I do, please consider donating. While it’s certainly not required, anything is greatly appreciated! (I’m going to Playlist Live Orlando this weekend, and could use a bit extra for traveling expenses. Thank you!)


End file.
